We welcome you to the Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre.

The records on our site emerge from the cultural and physical genocide that the Canadian government and churches conducted through the Indian Residential School System, including the ongoing impacts.

Bearing witness to these records may become overwhelming. If you are a Survivor or an Intergenerational Survivor and would like support, you can call the 24-hour National Indian Residential School Crisis Line at:

1-866-925-4419

Please click the button below for other cultural and mental health resources.

Wellness Resources



The Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre is located on the traditional, ancestral, unceded territory of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ speaking xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam people).



Welcome to the Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre's online collection. This site houses digital copies of public records related to the Indian residential school system and other colonial policies imposed on Indigenous peoples in Canada. The records are brought together from the collections of diverse partner organizations and from individual donors. They include Survivor and Intergenerational Survivor testimonies, events and hearings from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, photographs, and government and church documents. As a whole, the collection makes colonial records and mechanisms visible while seeking to render Survivor voices more central. Read more about the collection here.




  • Where to Find BC Residential School Records

    Guide


    Residential school records are spread across many different locations. This guide lists known repositories that hold records related to residential schools in British Columbia.


    View the Guide

  • Searching for a Specific School's Records in the IRSHDC Database

    Guide


    Learn how to search the IRSHDC database to find records related to a particular residential school.


    View the Video Guide

  • St. Paul's Residential School

    Timeline


    This timeline outlines some events associated with the St. Paul's Residential School. It is based on, but also supplements, the school narrative that was created by government researchers as part of the litigation process that led to the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement (2006).


    View Timeline

  • St. Eugene's Residential School

    Timeline


    This timeline outlines some events associated with the St. Eugene's Residential School. It is based on, but also supplements, the school narrative that was created by government researchers as part of the litigation process that led to the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement (2006).


    View Timeline

  • Aboriginal Healing Foundation Website


    In May 2023, the Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre (IRSHDC) began hosting the Aboriginal Healing Foundation / Fondation autochtone de guérison websites.


    View Website

  • Survivor Memoirs

    Featured Collection


    Many Survivors have written about their experiences at residential school. This collection brings together their stories. The stories are from Survivors across Canada; some accounts are addressed to adults and others to children. 
     


    View Featured Collection

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